Sohgee » Remedies

Feng Shui for Sleep

Melissa — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:12:26 +0000

Sleep can be an elusive thing for many people. Even though doctors regularly prescribe sleep aids, they can become habit forming, and eventually stop working. There is also evidence that sleep medication like many other forms of medication can cause damage to your liver. So what are you to do when faced with another sleepless night? A change in your surroundings may help.

Feng Shui is the ancient science and transcendental art of balancing the energies in our immediate environment, such as our home, bedroom and other living spaces (a piece of real estate, a business, etc.) so that our bodies, lives and intentions come into greater harmony with the energies of the earth and the laws of nature. We have a greater chance to achieve our highest potential — including getting a fantastic night’s sleep — when our “chi,” or human life force energy, is in balance and harmony with these energies.

There are some easy tips to keep your “chi” flowing in the right direction. Avoid clutter in, under, or around your bed. This can allow energy to flow around you, making you feel more relaxed. Keep things with electromagnetic fields away from you. This means cell phones, TV, computers, and other electronics. Also, clean bright colored sheets can make you feel peaceful and rejuvenated. A change of environment can be one of the best sleep aids.

Stretch Marks Be Gone

Melissa — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:15:17 +0000

Stretch marks happen often during pregnancy, and with weight loss. So now that you have a beautiful new baby, or a great new figure, how do you erase those ugly stretch marks? There are many stretch mark creams on the market, stretch mark laser treatment, but now doctors announce Tripollar technology which is a method using radio frequency heating.

At the upcoming IMCAS congress, Dr. Woraphong Manuskiatti will present clinical data that proves that TriPollar technology is safe and effective in significantly reducing stretch marks.

Dr. Manuskiatti commented: “More and more patients are seeking a non-invasive solution for reducing stretch marks- post pregnancy, post dramatic weight loss etc. TriPollar offers a quick and painless solution. Patients can see the results after a short treatment session averaging 6 treatments, and the results are long term. All patients who participated in the study were satisfied with the stretch marks reduction results and the treatment itself.”

“The study confirms that Radio Frequency (RF) heating is an effective mechanism for improving the surface appearance of stretch marks. We are delighted by the results of the study and are confident that patients will choose the completely non-surgical and pain free alternative that TriPollar treatments offers”

How to get rid of stretch marks? Laser treatments or creams can help. One super popular cream is Revitol stretch mark cream.

Acai Berry: Hype or Hope?

Melissa — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:35:55 +0000

The acai berry is a very popular supplement used for helping shed unwanted pounds, but what is it about acai supplements that are creating such a buzz?

The coveted rain forest berry grows in the eastern Amazon. It’s an antioxidant rich fruit that apparently is all the rave with celebrates desperate to shed pounds fast, but does it work?

Licensed nutritionist Armando Guiterrez saws the Acai berry is chock full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids.

“All this combination of things then is going to give you lots of energy,” said Guiterrez.

He adds that natural form of energy will help stimulate your rate to burn fat a little better. However, for weight loss he explained you are going to need some help and a lot of exercise, not to mention dietary and lifestyle changes.

Guiterrez said for a real weight loss boost you want to shop the produce isle at the grocery store.

“You want to choose adequate amounts of greens,” Guiterrez explained. “You want to have a good variety of certain fruits.”

While Acai has numerous health benefits, Gutierrez cautioned when you watch those stars strut their stuff to remember there’s no magic potion for weight loss.

Acai weight loss can best be achieved through a reduction in calories and a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables. Acai berry research will continue to test the health benefits of this superfruit.

Stress Relief: Can Stress Make you Fat?

Melissa — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:24:18 +0000

The majority of people who are overweight often consume too many calories and exercise too little. There are however some medical conditions that can cause people to gain weight. The stress hormone cortisol is also thought of to be a culprit in the battle of the bulge and an inability to achieve weight loss.

Cortisol is a critical hormone with many actions in the body. Normally, cortisol is secreted by the adrenal glands in a pattern called a diurnal variation, meaning that levels of cortisol in the bloodstream vary depending upon the time of day (normally, cortisol levels are highest in the early morning and lowest around midnight). Cortisol is important for the maintenance of blood pressure as well as the provision of energy for the body. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy, and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions can be an increase in appetite.

Cortisol has been termed the “stress hormone” because excess cortisol is secreted during times of physical or psychological stress, and the normal pattern of cortisol secretion (with levels highest in the early morning and lowest at night) can be altered. This disruption of cortisol secretion may not only promote weight gain, but it can also affect where you put on the weight. Some studies have shown that stress and elevated cortisol tend to cause fat deposition in the abdominal area rather than in the hips. This fat deposition has been referred to as “toxic fat” since abdominal fat deposition is strongly correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and strokes.

Simple laboratory tests can show if you have high levels of cortisol in your system. Cortisol is usually tested by a 24 hour urine collection. If your hormones are out of balance, you will have difficulty with any weight loss system. If you lower cortisol levels and find stress relief, you might have better success.

Best Psoriasis Treatment

Melissa — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:44:56 +0000

Psoriasis is a condition of irritated patches of skin. These spots of irritated skin are most often seen on the elbows, knees, and trunk, but can appear anywhere on the body. Doctors think this condition is occurs when the immune system mistakes healthy cells for dangerous substances. There is no way to prevent it, but to help your condition; you need to look for the best psoriasis treatment. Here are some things you can do to help the condition:

Keep your skin moist.
Avoid cold, dry climates. Cold weather may make symptoms worse. Hot, humid weather and sunlight may improve symptoms. (But hot, humid weather may make certain types of psoriasis worse.)
Avoid scratching and picking skin, and avoid skin injuries (cuts or scrapes). An injury to the skin can cause psoriasis patches to form anywhere on the body, including the site of the injury. This includes injuries to your nails or nearby skin while trimming your nails.
Avoid stress and anxiety. Stress may cause psoriasis to appear suddenly (flare) or can make symptoms worse, although this has not been proved in studies.
Avoid infection. Infections such as strep throat can cause one type of psoriasis (called guttate psoriasis) to appear suddenly, especially in children.
Try to avoid certain medicines. Some, including beta-blockers and lithium, have been found to make psoriasis symptoms worse. When your doctor prescribes any medicines for you, tell him or her that you have psoriasis.
Limit alcohol to no more than 2 drinks a day for men or 1 drink a day for women. This may help control psoriasis, especially for men.
Don’t smoke. Smoking may make you more likely to get psoriasis and may make it more severe. Smoking may also make your symptoms last longer.

There are topical creams on the market that can help as well. Revitol psoriasis cream is a very popular choice, but ask you doctor about the best treatment options for you.

Acai Boosts Immunity

Melissa — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:24:08 +0000

Our immune systems are important to our well being. Environmental free radicals and pollution can damage the delicate balance in our body. When your immunity is weak, you are more likely to catch an illness. There are things that boost the immune system like Acai antioxidant.

“Our immune system is our defense network,” says Fort Erie pharmacist Sherry Torkos, author of the Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural medicine. “When we are exposed to a virus, it gets taken up by our lymphatic system. The cells, called macrophages, recognize the foreign invader and, like Pac-man, gobble up the virus.”

When our immune systems are not in tip-top shape and are exposed to a new virus (such as the H1N1) to which our bodies have had no previous exposure and therefore no immunity, we are vulnerable. Some of us, particularly those in high-risk groups, can become ill, she says.

“There are plenty of things we can do to help support our immune systems,” says Torkos. “I believe strongly in the power of nutrition.” She recommends a rainbow diet, one in which plates are half loaded with colorful fruits and vegetables. (Elderberry and acai berries are great for the immune system.) And don’t ignore antioxidants that are common in things like garlic, onions and ginger, she adds.

Sleep is also an immune booster. “When we go without sleep, it suppresses the ability of our immune system to work. Sleep deprivation decreases our natural killer-cell activity,” she explains. “Killer cells are part of our immune system and how we fight infection.” Go for seven to nine hours of nightly shut-eye.

Though fear of this flu stresses us, Torkos says stress “further hampers immune function.” She says along with smoking (a real immune system stressor), too much alcohol, caffeine or sugar may also suppress the ability of our immune system to act with full force.

Acai health benefits have been under scrutiny, but they have been proven to be a powerful antioxidant. Acai supplements can help boost your immune system and help you keep disease at bay.

Appetite Suppressant Qualities in Tomatoes

Melissa — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:00:01 +0000

Looking for a natural appetite suppressant? You might not have to go any further than your kitchen. Current research is showing that tomatoes can help curb your appetite, and make you feel more satisfied when you eat.

Tomatoes are tops when it comes to staying trim. The juicy red orbs act as a natural appetite suppressant, making it easy to resist the temptation to snack, according to London’s Daily Mail.

Now research will focus on whether consuming tomatoes changes the levels of ghrelin, an appetite-regulating hormone, in the body, according to the Daily Mail. Lower levels of ghrelin tend to make us feel full.

Regardless of what makes tomatoes stem appetite, they’re worth eating, says nutritionist and licensed nutrition coach Jackie Keller.

“They have fiber, which has a huge effect on satiety,” she says. “Studies show that people who are obese don’t sense when they are full, so tomatoes may somehow magically trigger the mind to do this.”

Cooked tomatoes tend to have more lycopene than raw ones, she notes. And lycopene, according to the Daily Mail, reportedly offers a host of health benefits, from warding off cancer to increasing fertility. Whether they actually are as magical as some nutrition experts believe, tomatoes are a very good source of vitamin C, which helps the body to absorb iron, notes the Mail.

There is no down side to adding tomatoes to your diet. This might be a better option for people with heath issues rather than appetite suppressants such as hoodia gordonii. Tomatoes are safe, while there may be hoodia risks and dangers.

Best Thyroid Support

Melissa — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:13:19 +0000

Many people suffer from low thyroid or hypothyroidism. The thyroid is the largest endocrine gland in the body and is responsible for regulating the rate of metabolism in the body, and balancing other systems in the body. Those with hypothyroidism need thyroid support supplements. The most common form of thyroid replacement therapy is a T4 replacement drug. Many people however have not been satisfied with the result, often complaining of fatigue, weight gain, and body aches. A recent study finds that T4 replacement with the addition of T3 was more effective in many patients

Research published in the May 2005 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reported on a recent study that found that patients preferred thyroid treatment that included a combination of levothyroxine (T4) and T3, rather than the usual levothyroxine (T4 only) treatment, and that combination treatment was associated with weight loss. This clinical trial is the largest to date, and the first since the Bunevicius study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1999 that confirms a beneficial effect of combination T4/T3 therapy for hypothyroidism.

Some particular findings of interest:

* A decrease in body weight — but not a decrease in serum TSH — was correlated with increased satisfaction with study medication.

* In both combination groups, there was a decrease in weight, most pronounced in the 5:1 ratio group, who had a mean decrease of 1.7 kg, or 3.75 pounds. Theh 10:1 group had a mean weight loss of 1 pound. The T4-only group had no change in weight.

* Of the patients who preferred combined therapy, 44% had serum TSH less than 0.11.

* Measurable changes in mood, fatigue, well-being, and neurocognitive functions could not be identified to explain the patient preference for the combination treatment.

When your thyroid support medication is working properly, you just feel better. Other conditions associated with low thyroid include intolerance to cold, thinning hair, brittle nails, and problems with sleep – to the point of needing sleep aids.

Burn Fat With Brown Fat

Melissa — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:46:14 +0000

To lose weight you need to burn fat. That’s what we are told at least. But not all fat is the same. According to scientists in Sweden, there is one kind of fat we want to have. They call it “brown fat”.

Instead of storing excess energy from food in lumps and bumps throughout the body — like its well-known sister, white fat — brown fat helps burn incoming calories.

Because its primary purpose is temperature regulation, brown fat cells are jam-packed with mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells. This mitochondria-heavy design is well-suited to use high quantities of sugar, the body’s fuel, and then release that energy in the form of heat.

This mechanism enables small and hibernating mammals, who can’t shiver, to stay warm in cold temperatures. And it enables newborn humans, who have yet to develop layers of white fat, to stay warm after exiting the stable confines of the womb.

Until recently, only these two types of creatures were thought to even have brown fat.

Now researchers have found that adults don’t, in fact, lose all of their brown fat to the creeping ubiquitousness of white fat; with that finding, they’ve launched a scramble to discover how the substance’s fat-burning abilities could be harnessed for weight loss.

If brown fat is unleashed, it could potentially “tickle” the metabolism enough to make weight loss easier and more manageable, said Sven Enerback, a researcher at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and one of the scientists who discovered that brown fat persists in adults. As is, once a person reduces his or her starting weight, the body begins to compensate for the loss by getting better gas mileage — that is, burning fewer calories.

Researchers have spent years looking at different methods on how to burn fat off quick. If we can turn our bodies in to fat burning machines, people would be able to achieve quick weight loss. It will be interesting to see where they go with this brown fat theory.

Colon Cleansing Comes Clean

Melissa — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:14:03 +0000

There are stories on the Internet that talk about how much waste you can accumulate in your digestive tract that never comes out. John Wayne was rumored to have 60 lbs of feces in his system when he died. Elvis was said to have 40 lbs of backed up pooh. Even the thought that there is a little “stuck” excrement in your digestive tract is enough to make you want to clean your colon. Colon cleansing can also be a good way to prep your body for quick weight loss.

If you are doing all the right things, and still not loosing weight, there is a very high chance that doing an annual colon cleanse will get you over the final hurdle toward loosing weight! Don’t worry, this is not an enema. It’s a combination of fiber and cleansing herbs you take twice a day for two weeks. You can find a convenient colon cleanse package, complete with instructions, at any health food store.

After you do some “housecleaning” on your body, maintain it by increasing the fiber in your daily diet. It is recommended that individuals consume 6-7 servings of fiber each day, which is 20-35 grams of fiber (in the ratio of 75:25 insoluble to soluble fiber.) Sources of fiber include:

• Whole grain cereal, cereal bars or oatmeal
• Whole grain breads, tortillas and baked goods
• Beans and legumes
• Nuts & seeds
• Fresh or dried fruit (try to replace juice with whole fruit)
• Fresh or steamed vegetables
• Fiber supplements (such as Metamucil and Benefiber) taken with plenty of water!

There is no harm in a 7 day colon cleansing program as long as you are not taking high doses of chemical laxatives. You might even fell more energized afterward. If clean internal plumbing might make instant weight loss easy, why wouldn’t you do it?